Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Lost Memory of Skin

It took me forever to read Russell Banks' Lost Memory of Skin. Mainly because I was so bored by it I hardly ever picked it up and when I did I would fall asleep.

The novel is about a young man convicted of a sex offense and who, as a result of residency restrictions, is unable to find anywhere to legally reside other than an encampment under a causeway. A sociologist who studies the homeless takes an interest in him, and Lost Memory of Skin follows the relationship between these two odd characters. In spite of how bored I was by the prose, I did feel somewhat drawn to the character of "the Kid" - as the young sex offender was known. However the plot took an annoying turn as it focused on the professor and I continued reading with little investment in the outcome.

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